Monday, August 31, 2009

KYIV, UKRINFORM. Antonov Design Bureau, Aviant Plant, 410 Civil Aviation Plant, Kharkiv State Aircraft Manufacturing Company, Motor Sich, Ivchenko-Progress, Artem, FED, Radar, Arsenal and other enterprises have represented Ukraine at the MAKS 2009 International Air Show in Zhukovsky outside Moscow. The joint projects of Antonov Design Bureau and Russia's Voronezh Aircraft Plant - An-70 and An-148 aircraft - was presented at the show. Antonov An-225 "Mriya" (Dream), the world’s largest aircraft was also shown at the MAKS 2009 (see photo below). When it was built, it surpassed any airliner built before by 50%. It was designed for the transportation of the Russian Space Shuttle "Buran" by the Antonov Design Bureau (HQ in Kiev, Ukraine), which already had built good and large cargo aircraft such as the Antonov An-124 "Ruslan". Industry Minister Volodymyr Novytsky headed the Ukrainian delegation. A total of 711 participants from 34 countries participated in the air show. Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko vows to allocate UAH 3.5 billion (USD 1 - UAH 7.99) for modernization of aircraft industry capacities, she said this in Kharkiv on Thursday, August 27. Tymoshenko underlined that there were problems with funding for the aircraft industry and called on representatives of companies producing engines and other parts of aircrafts to ask the government for state guarantees. According to her, there are funds for that.